Lightning-rod.



Patented Sept. 2, I902.

J. 0. WILSON. LIGHTNING ROD.

(Application filed Jan. 6, 1902.)

2 Sheets Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

zed

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES O. \VILSON, OF CANTON, MISSOURI.

LlGHTNlNG-ROD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 708,188, datedSeptember 2, 1902. Application filed January 6,1902- Serial No. 88,654.(No model.)

1'0 a zultom it may concern.-

Be it known thatl, JAMES O. \VILSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Canton, in the county of Lewis and State of Missouri, haveinvented a new and useful Lightning- Rod, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in lightning rods orconductors, and has for its principal object to provide for aconstruction and system of electrical conductors whereby a convectivedischarge may be more effectually provided for than in devices of theclass in ordinary use; and a further object is to provideefficient meansfor-grounding the current and in a measure establishing the flow of acurrent through the conductors when an electrical storm is in progress,thereby rendering the conductor more sensitive and facilitating thedischarge from the cloud.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novelconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustratedin the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view illustrating a buildingprovided with a lightning-rod system arranged in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the grounding-plates.Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the same.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several views.

1 indicates a building provided with a system of conductors which arepreferably stranded, although solid tape or wire conductors of copper,iron, or other metal may be employed for the purpose. The conductor 2 ispreferably extended for the full length of the building and atconvenient points is provided with upwardly-extended arched or loopedportions 3, which may extend for a height proportionate to the size ofthe building and the surrounding conditions, or in some cases I mayemploy the usual points either as auxiliaries to the loops or maydispense entirelywith said loops. If the building be provided with achimney, a portion of the conductor is wound around the top of thechimney, as indicated at 4. The conductors are connected, as inaccordance with the best practice, with any metallic cornicework,spouting, or other metallic objects on the building and lead to two ormore grounding connections, as illustrated in Fig. l, the conductorsbeing branched at a point above the ground, as shown at 5, in order tofacilitate the discharge. At a suitable point below the groundsay at adistance of three feet, more or less-I place a bed of charcoal orsimilar material which will absorb and retain the moisture from theearth, and in each of these beds is placed a ground-plate 6, throughwhich the branched conductors extend and to which they are electricallyconnected, the ends of the conductors extending down into the moistearth for a considerable distance below the plates. Each ground-plate isformed of a series of plates of the character shown more clearly in Fig.3, the plates being of copper,

lead, zinc, and galvanized iron arranged in the order named and each,except the galvanized-iron plate, being of the same size. The iron plateis of somewhat-larger diameter in order that its edges may be foldedover the edges of the other plates and hold the compound plate firmlytogether. As the materials which enter into the composition of theground-plate are non-corrosive, the plates will last for a considerablelength of time without requiring any attention or renewal and owing totheir electrical conductivity will quickly discharge the current to thecharcoal and thence to the earth.

Owing to the employment of two or more ground-plates each possessingelements of differing electrical properties, a current will beestablished throughout the entire system on the approach of a chargedcloud or from a nearby stationary cloud gradually receiving a chargefrom an approaching cloud, and the current will be gradually drawn fromthe cloud by a continuous or a series of convective discharges before asufficient quantity of electrical energy can accumulate for a disruptivedischarge, the flow of current through the conductor rendering thelatter much more sensitive than an uncharged conductor and more likelyto attract and receive the charge from the cloud.

The arrangement of parts may be modified in a variety of ways, and theground-plates may be set vertically in order to the better establish acircuit, and various other changes in the minor details of constructionmay be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. Alightning-rodcomprisinga continuous conductor extending from an elevated point to aplurality of ground connections, and compound ground-plates to which theterminals of the conductor are electrically connected.

2. A lightning-rod comprising a continuous conductor having a pluralityof ground connections, loops connected continuously to the conductor andextending thereabove to form attractive points, and compoundgroundplates to which the terminals of said conductor are electricallyconnected.

3. A lightning-rod comprising a continuous conductor extending from anelevated point to a groundplate, said conductor being branched ordivided, and a ground-plate to which the branched or divided portions ofthe conductor are connected.

4:. A grounding connection fora lightningrod comprising a bed ofcharcoal arranged below the surface of the ground, and a composite plateembedded in the charcoal and electrically connected to the conductor.

A grounding-plate for a lightning-rod, comprising superposed sheets ofgalvanized iron, zinc, lead and copper, arranged in the order named.

6. A grounding-plate for lightning-rods, comprising a series ofsuperposed plates of different electrical properties, the outer of saidplates having its edge portions folded over the edges of the remainingplates and binding the same together.

7. The combination with a lightning-rod, of a ground-plate to which saidrod is connected, the terminals of said rod extending through and belowsaid plate, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I havehereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES 0. WILSON.

Witnesses:

H. O. CHINN, T. E. RALEIGH.

